The City of Calgary now covers traffic fines for employees driving city vehicles, a departure from the previous practice where drivers were responsible for their own fines. Data from CBC News reveals that taxpayers have incurred nearly $120,000 in fines since this policy change three years ago. Christy Schaefer, manager of fleet training and compliance, operational services, explained that the city adopted this approach in April 2023 to align with grievance and union arbitration settlements in other Alberta municipalities. The new policy excludes fines related to gross negligence, impaired driving, dangerous driving, distracted driving, or Criminal Code offenses.
In response to a union arbitration decision involving the City of Edmonton, Calgary updated its policy to match that of other municipalities, such as Edmonton. While Lethbridge and Medicine Hat maintain that their employees are accountable for fines while driving city vehicles, Calgary’s approach now involves covering routine on-duty traffic fines for its drivers.
The number of tickets issued to City of Calgary vehicles decreased from 189 in 2024 to 96 in 2025, with most tickets issued for speeding or running red lights. Correspondingly, overall ticket issuance by Calgary Police Service officers, photo radar, and speed-on-green cameras dropped from around 210,000 to under 100,000 during this period.
Additionally, the city clarified that it also covers parking infractions in private lots, although occurrences are rare, averaging three to four per year. City vehicles are eligible for free parking in lots and on the streets with Calgary Parking.
While the fraction of tickets issued to city vehicles is a small portion of the total tickets in the city, concerns have been raised about taxpayers bearing the cost. Ward 13 Coun. Dan McLean voiced his disapproval of taxpayers covering these fines, emphasizing that individuals should be responsible for their own parking and speeding tickets.
Despite these concerns, Christy Schaefer emphasized that employees driving city vehicles undergo comprehensive training and qualification programs to ensure safe and professional operation. The city maintains a robust operator qualification, training, and compliance program, with over 6,000 vehicles covering more than 90 million kilometers annually in its fleet operations.
While Mike Maher of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 583 in Calgary acknowledged the commitment to safe driving, he highlighted potential time pressures faced by drivers due to tight schedules. Calgary Transit assured that traffic tickets issued to transit operators are distributed across the city and various times, with drivers expected to prioritize safety over maintaining schedules.
Ultimately, traffic fine revenue collected by the city is shared between the province and municipalities, reflecting a collaborative effort in managing traffic violations.